The American Lung Association Crusade

1997 American Lung Association Easter Seal

The American Lung Association is the oldest voluntary public health agency in the United States. The original name of the ALA was the National Association for the Study and Prevention of Tuberculosis (NASPT), formed in 1904 to combat the deadliest disease of the time. The name was changed to the National Tuberculosis Association (NTA) in 1918, and finally, with the decline of TB and the rise of other serious lung diseases, to the American Lung Association (ALA) in 1973. The American Lung Association of Virginia (ALAV) has been similarly renamed since its formation in 1909 as the Virginia Anti-Tuberculosis Association. Today, both the national and state associations are dedicated to the prevention, cure, and control of all lung diseases.

The ALA is perhaps best known as “The Christmas Seal People.” Since 1907, the Christmas Seal Campaign has raised many millions of dollars toward the fight against lung disease. The fame of the Christmas Seal makes the holiday season the perfect time to honor the work of the ALA.

• Tuberculosis
• Birth of the American Lung Association
• Sanatoriums in Virginia
• Campaigns and Crusades
• Christmas Seals
• Conclusion

Dr. Carl Booberg and Linda Watson

Dr. Carl Booberg (Director of the ALAV in 1991) signing over the ALAV Collection to Linda Watson

This exhibit recounts the origin and early history of the ALA. Pictured here is Dr. Carl Booberg (Director of the ALAV in 1991) signing over the ALAV Collection to Ms. Linda Watson (Director of the CMHSL). The Collection contains personal and official correspondence, financial and legal papers, minute books, organizational and scientific reports, educational publicity, photographs, and artifacts. The Claude Moore Health Sciences Library wishes to gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the American Lung Association of Virginia, whose donation of the organization’s papers to the Library in 1990 and 1991 made this exhibit possible.

Copyright Notice

The materials in this exhibit are kept in the Wilhelm Moll Rare Book and Medical History Room of the University of Virginia Health Sciences Library. They are owned by the University of Virginia and are protected under U.S. Copyright Law. For information about these and other images in our collections please contact Joan Echtenkamp Klein, Assistant Director for Historical Collections and Services. This exhibit was created by Donny Wright and Joby Topper. It was on display at the Health Sciences Library in early 1998 and converted to the Web in December of 1998. Redesign of the exhibit was completed in 2004 by Steve Stedman.s